Tesla (TSLA) recently began mass production of its electric truck "Semi." Beyond being an eco-friendly mode of transport, it is already being hailed as a game changer that could shake up the freight industry.
800km Range: Crossing the Critical Threshold for Electric Trucks
The core of the newly mass-produced Tesla Semi is its overwhelming driving performance. The Long Range model can travel approximately 500 miles (800km) on a single charge. Until now, the industry has broadly pointed out that short driving ranges made long-haul freight impossible with electric trucks.
But the Semi has broken through this limit with its battery performance. Tesla's next-generation battery technology, the "4680 battery," has been applied. The 4680 battery is a large cylindrical cell measuring 46mm in diameter and 80mm in height, featuring significantly improved energy density compared to existing batteries. Tesla previously announced in 2023 that it would invest $3.6 billion (approximately 5.34 trillion won) to expand its Nevada plant and secure production facilities for the Semi truck and 4680 batteries.
Additionally, the battery is designed to last for 1 million miles (approximately 1.6 million km) of driving. This means the truck can operate throughout its entire life cycle without battery replacement. It is expected to dramatically lower maintenance costs, a sensitive issue for truck owners.
The industry is paying particular attention to the driving range. 800km covers a significant portion of freight routes within the United States, and in Korean terms, it is equivalent to a round trip between Seoul and Busan. In other words, it has crossed the technical threshold.
The Semi is a truck only in appearance, with Tesla's cutting-edge technology applied throughout its interior. First, a 48V architecture has been introduced. Compared to the existing 12V system, it maximizes power efficiency to stably supply energy to various electronic devices in the vehicle. In addition, three independent motors mounted on the rear axle can generate explosive power of up to 800kW. This means the truck can climb steep slopes without hesitation even when fully loaded.
It has also abandoned the hydraulic steering systems used by existing large trucks and adopted a fully electric steering system. On top of this, high-performance actuators proven in the Cybertruck have been applied to enable precise driving comparable to passenger cars.
High Energy Efficiency Expected to Cut Shipping Costs
The real reason logistics companies are enthusiastic about the Semi is that it makes money. The Semi's energy consumption efficiency is around 1.7 kWh per mile. When converted into cost, this translates into approximately 60% to 70% savings in fuel costs compared to existing diesel trucks. The appeal is significant for a shipping industry vulnerable to fluctuations in oil prices.
The Semi also links with Tesla's FSD (Supervised). Truck transport is a field where the effects of autonomous driving are maximized, as driving routes are more consistent than passenger cars and highway driving accounts for a higher share. Some analyses suggest this could lead to lower logistics costs and reshape the supply chain structure across all industries.
Observations suggest that the adoption of autonomous trucks in the North American freight market could accelerate further. In fact, retail giant Walmart (WMT) opened the door to commercializing driverless trucks in 2021 when it became the first in the industry to deploy a fully unmanned truck, without even a safety officer on board, on a delivery route in Arkansas. The vehicle repeatedly travels an approximately 11km section connecting a warehouse and a store. Walmart has since been expanding unmanned trucks to states such as Texas and Louisiana, pushing to reduce logistics costs.
